By DON BRUNELL
Covington Reporter Columnist

Two studies recently confirmed what most people in Washington already know: Our state is a hotbed for green energy innovation, conservation and job creation.

Earlier this month, the green research firm Clean Edge released its study of “clean-tech” jobs. It listed the top 15 metro areas in the U.S. for jobs in fields such as renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The Puget Sound region (Seattle/Tacoma/Bremerton) and Portland/Salem ranked seventh and eighth respectively. These jobs also compete where it matters most – on pay level – offering family-wage jobs for first-time job seekers and mid-career changers alike.

(WSUToday) — Earlier this week, President Barack Obama announced $3.4 billion in grants to improve the efficiency of the electric power grid through Smart Grid technology. A group of WSU researchers in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science are taking a leading role in developing new communication and control paradigms that will make the smart electric power grid a reality.